Telematics units within mobile vehicles provide subscribers with connectivity to a telematics service provider (TSP). The TSP provides the subscriber with an array of services ranging from emergency call handling and stolen vehicle recovery to diagnostics monitoring and turn-by-turn navigation. Telematics units are often provisioned and activated at a point of sale when a subscriber purchases a telematics-equipped vehicle. Upon activation, the telematics unit can be utilized to provide a subscriber with the telematics services.
Telematics units generally remain powered on in some capacity and connected to a network even when the vehicle is off, i.e., when the vehicle is not running and the key is removed or turned to an off position. “Awake parameters” may be programmed into a telematics unit and may then be used by an “awake” algorithm that determines how the telematics unit will behave while the vehicle is in the off state. For example, awake parameters may allow the telematics unit to perform certain functions, such as sending and receiving information, while the vehicle is off.
However, after a telematics-equipped vehicle is manufactured and when it is in transit (i.e. being shipped), the telematics unit may not be required to be awake while the vehicle is off. Having the telematics unit remain awake in such circumstances may result in a parasitic load on the vehicle battery, causing the battery to be unnecessarily drained during shipping. In addition to simply wasting the battery charge, this inadvertent discharge may harm the battery and increase warranty expenses.
Thus, it is an object in part to provide a system and method for reducing the parasitic load on a battery caused by the telematics unit while the vehicle is off and is being shipped. However, while this is an object underlying certain implementations of the invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to systems that solve the problems noted herein. Moreover, the inventors have created the above body of information for the convenience of the reader and expressly disclaim all of the foregoing as prior art; the foregoing is a discussion of problems discovered and/or appreciated by the inventors, and is not an attempt to review or catalog the prior art.